1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation console displaying information to the user and operated by the user based on the information. More specifically, the present invention relates to an operation console that prevents confusion of the user even if configuration of the operation console for selecting an operational mode is changed in an electronic device having a plurality of operational modes. The present invention also relates to an electronic device and an image processing apparatus provided with such an operation console, as well as to a method of displaying information on the operation console.
2. Description of the Background Art
As one type of image processing apparatuses as electronic equipment, image forming apparatuses forming images on recording paper (typically, copy machines) are introduced to many places of business (companies and offices). In such a place of business, it has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use (sharing) by a plurality of users. A multifunction peripheral (MFP) as one type of such image forming apparatuses has a plurality of basic operational modes such as a copy mode, a facsimile mode (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer mode and a scanner mode. In such an image forming apparatus, each user selects an operational mode and sets a function of duplex (two-sided) printing or collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), whereby images are formed on sheets of paper in a desired manner. Appropriate combinations of these functions come to be more frequently used.
When a user uses such an image forming apparatus, for example, the user inputs image data in the scanner mode, performs image processing (such as collection) by inputting various instructions through an operation panel, and prints the results on a sheet of recording paper. In such a situation, the operation panel, serving as an operation and display unit, functions as an interface between the image forming apparatus and the user. Generally, on the operation panel, a screen image for setting functions in each operational mode is displayed, so that the user can easily set various functions. Further, while a job is being executed, job progress status may be displayed, to allow the user to easily grasp the progress status of the job. In the printer mode executed upon reception of data from an external device, the job progress status may be displayed in accordance with the data received from the external device as a source.
Recently, a touch-panel display having a touch-panel formed on a liquid crystal panel (display panel) comes to be increasingly used as such an operation panel. By way of example, items (software buttons) allowing selection of an operational mode of the image forming apparatus are displayed on the touch-panel display, the user viewing the display presses a position of an item displayed on the touch-panel display (presses a software button), and the operational mode is set.
Such a touch-panel display having both the display and operation functions is advantageous in that it eliminates the necessity of providing a display unit and an operation unit separately. Further, it attracts attention recently since a command can be selected advantageously in accordance with the user's sense, when it is adapted such that a command can be selected in accordance with a trajectory of pressing of the touch-panel display by the user's finger. Examples of such command selection using finger trajectory include the following.
When a plurality of pages are displayed on the touch-panel display as print previews, the following operations may be performed. By a user operation of lightly tapping twice (hereinafter also referred to as double-tapping) a position of a certain page displayed as a preview, a command to display the page in an enlarged or reduced size can be selected. By a user operation trajectory of expanding a space between two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-out or pinch-open), a command to display the page in an enlarged size can be selected, and by a user operation trajectory of reducing a space between the two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-in or pinch-close), a command to display the page in a reduced size can be selected. In the following, these operations are denoted as gesture operations. The gesture operations are not limited to the above, and may include: tapping, or lightly touching an item displayed on the touch-panel display; dragging, or sliding an item with a finger; flicking, or lightly sweeping an item to scroll; and pinching with two fingers. It is noted that, strictly speaking, (different from other gesture operations) tapping and double-tapping are not determined by detecting the user operation trajectory on the touch-panel display (not the trajectory but a position is detected). Considering the relation to other gesture operations, in the present specification, the gesture operation generally refers to an operation for detecting a user request based on the operation trajectory of the user to the touch-panel display, including tapping and double tapping.
In the present invention, an operation other than the gesture operations as such will be described as a touch operation. The touch operation means an operation of detecting a user's request based on the position of operation by the user on the touch-panel display. A representative example of the touch operation is an operation of the user pressing a position of an item (pressing a software button) displayed on the touch-panel display.
In an MFP provided with a touch-panel display allowing both touch operation and gesture operation, many pieces of information intended for the user are displayed on the touch-panel display. Such an MFP has a plurality of basic operational modes as described above, and it is necessary for the user to select one operational mode from the plurality of operational modes. Such a user selection is input by touching a software button displayed on the touch-panel display.
By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-308831 (hereinafter referred to as '831 Reference) discloses an image forming apparatus including a plurality of processing functions (copy function, facsimile function, scanner function, electronic mail function, etc.), that improves user operability by controlling screen image transitions.
The image forming apparatus includes: a display unit, displaying a menu screen image allowing selection of any of the plurality of processing functions, or a function instruction screen image allowing execution of a processing function; an operation unit, receiving a user operation related to the selected processing function, based on the screen image displayed on the display unit; a detection unit detecting absence of any operation, related to the selected processing function, on the operation unit for a prescribed time period; and a control unit, returning, if it is detected by the detecting unit that no operation is done for the prescribed time period, the screen image on the display unit to an initial display of the function instruction screen image related to the selected processing function.
The image forming apparatus is controlled such that, if no operation is done by the operation unit for a prescribed time period, the detecting unit detects the absence of operation, the function instruction screen image related to the processing function displayed on the display unit is reset, and the display is returned to the initial screen image of the function instruction screen image. Therefore, as an automatic reset process that takes place after the lapse of the prescribed time period, the initial screen image corresponding to the function that has been selected immediately before is resumed. Therefore, when the user is to proceed to the next process, the process function can readily be executed. The menu screen image shown in FIG. 3(a) of '831 Reference is displayed on the touch-panel display. On the menu screen image, software buttons for switching among copy function, facsimile function, scanner function (mail transmission) and scanner function (box storage) are displayed. In the image forming apparatus, if a user wishes to have image data obtained by scanning a document sent by facsimile, he/she touches “FAX” button, if the user wishes to have the image data transmitted by mail, he/she touches “SCANNER (MAIL TRANSMISSION)” button, and if the user wishes to have the image data transmitted to a prescribed storage device, he/she touches “SCANNER FUNCTION (BOX STORAGE)” button. In this manner, an operational mode can directly be selected from the menu screen image displayed on the image forming apparatus. It is expected that in future image forming apparatuses, direct selection of operational modes by touching software buttons displayed on the menu screen image will be more popular.
On the other hand, some image forming apparatuses are provided with hardware buttons for selecting operational modes, rather than the software buttons displayed on the touch-panel display for selecting operational modes. By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-154773 (hereinafter referred to as '773 Reference) discloses an image forming apparatus provided with hardware buttons such as function selection keys for selecting copy function, printer function and facsimile function, and a job status key instructing selective display of current status of image forming job.
As can be seen from FIG. 4 of '773 Reference, an operation panel of the image forming apparatus includes hardware buttons of “PRINT,” “FAX,” “COPY” and “JOB STATUS.” In the image forming apparatus disclosed in '773 Reference, if a user wishes to have the image data obtained by scanning a document sent by facsimile, he/she presses the “FAX” button. If the user wishes to have the image data sent by mail, he/she presses the “FAX” button, thereafter, presses an “EMAIL ADDRESS” button on a screen image shown in FIG. 18 of this reference, and inputs an address. In this manner, the hardware button of “FAX” provided on the image forming apparatus is pressed first, and then, a further function is selected by touching a software button (here, “EMAIL ADDRESS” button) displayed on the touch-panel display as needed, to attain FAX transmission or mail transmission. Different from the image forming apparatus disclosed in '831 Reference, functions related to transmission are collectively represented by the “FAX” button (or FAX is given priority among the functions related to transmission), and selection of an operational mode related to transmission is made through the “FAX” button. One reason to take such an approach is that the size of operation panel is limited and large number of hardware buttons cannot be arranged. In many conventional image forming apparatuses, it is often the case that a hardware button configured with such a limitation is pressed to select one operational mode (an operational mode of high priority, or an inclusive operational mode) and thereafter, a further operational mode is selected. Such a method of operation is for selecting one operational mode indirectly from a plurality of operational modes.
It is expected that the conventional image forming apparatus in which an operational mode is selected by pressing a hardware button arranged on the operation panel will be replaced by a new image forming apparatus in which an operational mode is directly selected by touching a software button displayed on a menu screen image. Such a replacement may possibly cause a problem that the user is confused on the difference of operation method and fails to appropriately select an operational mode.
References mentioned above are silent about any solution to such a problem.
Specifically, in the conventional image forming apparatus, a hardware button for selecting “FAX” that is highly frequently selected among the functions related to transmission is provided, and by pressing the “FAX” button, “FAX” mode is selected once and thereafter the mail mode is selected (assuming that higher priority is given to FAX than mail). In contrast, in the new image forming apparatus in which a large number of software buttons can be provided relatively easily, both “FAX” button and “MAIL” button are provided to enable direct selection of a function. The user may be confused on such difference in the operation method.
In the image forming apparatus (new image forming apparatus) disclosed in '831 Reference, software buttons for selecting an operational mode are displayed on the touch-panel display. The output of image forming apparatus in the copy mode is a print output to a sheet of recording paper, while the output in a mode related to transmission is transmission output of data, the output results differ. Simply placing side by side the software buttons for selecting operational modes having different output results on the touch-panel display makes it difficult for the user to appropriately select an operational mode.
If an image forming apparatus has a plurality of transmission paths, there are many types of operational modes related to transmission, leading to a large number of software buttons displayed on the touch-panel display for selecting an operational mode. Simply placing side by side the large number of software buttons for selecting operational modes related to transmission on the touch-panel display makes it difficult for the user to appropriately select an operational mode.